Solar Radiation
by WizardsGirl
Summary: The sun is what keeps us living. It radiates warmth and comfort. It makes plants grow and rainbows come out. But it can also burn. Midoriya Hinako is like the sun, especially with a Quirk like Energy Absorption. But her little brother wants to be a Hero, and like hell is she going to be left behind. (OC-Reincarnation-Insert as Izuku's older twin sister. Expect Drama)
1. Prologue: Rebirthed Again

**A/N:** It's me, ya boi, Wizard, sup?

I know, y'all are like WTF WIZARD STAHP WUT R U DOIN?! But I just can't help myself? Like I get so many ideas and muses and I MUST run with them, until something else gets loud enough or distracting enough to pull me away?

One of my fav BNHA fics updated after a, like, 2-year wait, and has updated another couple chapters since and I just… Got sucked back in? But I'm not in a cute, Greener Grass kinda mood?

I just want BAMF OC/Self-Inserts and read too much fanfiction and, like?

Where are all the BAMF OC/Self-Inserts in the BNHA fandom? Like, seriously? The ones I've read are all amazing, don't get me wrong but, like, IDK, I just want a strong, moral and ethical, opinionated character?

So, I decided I needed to make one?

And I already have, like, a whole bunch of scenes planned out and I drew her?

So, yeah…

Enjoy!

Oh, also, if you want some FANTASTIC Bakugo Meta that LITERALLY explains my EXACT reasons for hating him, you should totally check out the fic **Ne Plus Ultra** on AO3 by **ItsClydeBitches**. Most of the story is just fantastically written fluff and slice of life goodness, but chapter 38 is an amazing (and HELLA long) Meta on why the Author dislikes and even outright reviles Bakugo with SOURCES AND REFERENCES AND GAH! I love it. It is EXACTLY the thing I needed to explain WHY I loathe him as a character and human being all together. So yeah, read it, because it is GORGEOUSLY written!

Bravo, Clyde, Brav-fucking-O

Now, onto the fic!

**Solar Radiation**

**Prologue:**

_Rebirthed Again_

I don't know how many times I've been reborn. How many different worlds or places or times? I never know how many. Once I die, the cycle starts over, memories of people and places fading rapidly, emotions dissolving, until all that's left is knowledge and wisdom and tired confused curiosity. I never remember what names I've had, what genders, what ethnicity or sexual preference. Whenever I become Aware, I only Know what ambiguous facts and thoughts flutter across my developing brain at the time. Sometimes, I die before then, or just after. Sometimes I die as a child, sometimes I live to old age.

But, no matter how much time has passed, no matter the number of lives I've lived, I know that I can count the number of times I was a _Twin_ on one hand, with fingers left over.

I don't know if its something in the rebirthing process, or if its just luck of the draw, but every time it happens it feels like an Omen. Like something BIG is going to happen in this life-

_(Faded, grainy memories of being the twin of a man who turned into the tyrannical, racist leader if Germany. Others of being the twin to a blond-haired boy with a sunshine smile and whisker marks who grew to be a beloved leader of his village. Others, still, of being the twin to a girl with magic in her heart and a brain too big to hold beneath her frizzy, bushy hair, and her adventures in a castle with two boys she loved like brothers)_

-Yes.

Being a Twin was always connected to something bigger than I could ever hope to imagine. Not always good, but not always bad. Just... Bigger.

Some things in this world (in _all_ worlds) are set in Stone, Destiny Points that are _meant_ to happen, no matter what choices and decisions my existing there affected. I Knew it, the same way I Knew when I was Reborn, Knew that I'd died yet again, Knew that I was a Twin before my infantile self could have developed to the point of actual cognizance.

And, just as had happened every time before, with every new Rebirth, the moment of Awareness settled itself into my very Bones, before allowing me to drift away into the semi-consciousness of a developing fetus.

Body still too under-developed to move, let alone curl towards the other heartbeat near me, I Drifted away...

**~(LINE)~**

The Time between Awareness and Cognizance is mostly filled with warm darkness, my Twins heartbeat, our Mothers heartbeat, and the occasional, distant and muffled noise. During this time, my developing body gained enough form to move, and Twin and I were occasionally, instinctively, turning and kicking about, curling together in the small, confined space, and just learning how to react to certain stimuli. My memories are fuzzy and distant, my instincts strong and poignant, taking up most of my developing brain and shunting stressful thoughts and memories further and further away. It was Always like this and, in this in-between state, the feelings of discomfort or panic or alarm don't exist. I am an infant, a fetus. I have no reference point, no understanding of these feelings, and thus, they're not necessary. My only instinct is to move and wriggle and seek warmth and comfort in my twin, our tiny, developing hands latching onto one another and clinging with the non-existent strength we both had. And, in this space, this In-Between, the bits and pieces that made Reincarnated-Me faded out, leaving behind weak afterimages in otherwise empty space, until the only reason I Knew anything about Myself was in the instinctive Knowing that was my constant companion.

It slipped away at a steady pace, culminating into the single instance that was Birth, when I was pulled (pushed) into the harsh, bright, and _cold_ new world, pulled from my Twin and left to scream shrilly into the harsh new life, sense of Self no more that just a slightly-more developed infant.

My previous Self had next-to-no input in this life, beyond vague, blurred-out memories and impressions, wisdom and warnings like a sixth sense in the back of my throat, leaving the large, blank space that would be Me...

**~(LINE)~**

Midoriya Hinako was born twenty-seven minutes before her twin brother Izuku, a healthy 8 pounds even, three ounces heavier than her brother, and two inches shorter in length. Both twins sported thick, spiky green hair and strong lungs, and were given clean bills of health from their doctors. Midoriya Inko and her husband, Hisashi, were _ecstatic_. The loving couple adored their little bundles of joy, snapping countless pictures, filling two full photo-albums (one for each twin) entirely with pictures of the two sleeping, yawning, blinking, crying, and their first smiles and scowls and even a sneeze or two.

It was a blissful first month, until Hisashi was pulled away, his Paternity Leave officially coming to an end. There were many tears shed, by both adult and baby Midoriya, and dozens of 'just one more' kisses and cuddles all around. But work waited for no man, newly made father or not. _Especially_ not Pro-Hero work. And so, Hisashi disappeared over to America, speaking to his wife and newborn children every day over Video Calls, weeping and laughing along with Inko over every achievement their babies made.

It quickly became apparent by the time the Twins were 2, that their personalities were drastically different. Hinako was out-spoken and curious and quick to pull away from her mother if given the opportunity, enamored by bright colors and music of all kinds and just loved to sprawl out on the grass and bask in the sunlight like a little flower. (Hisashi joked that they grew her in the garden, a sweet little flower just for them, and Inko would giggle and swat at the air around her as if she could touch him through the screen with sheer determination.) She didn't seem to know fear the way some toddlers did, didn't thrash in the bath or scream at animals or cry during fireworks, instead giggling and squealing at every new thing, as if it was a favorite toy returned that she hadn't realized was missing.

Izuku, while not her _complete_ opposite, was far from his cavalier sister. He clung to his mother, bright eyed and sweet-smiled and shy in the face of new things. He loved bright colors as much as Hinako, but preferred quiet to anything loud, and seemed to startle badly if such a sound was made. He was quicker to cry, as well, not tantrum or temper, but just wailing, heartbreaking cries that had Inko dashing into whatever room he was in, if Hinako didn't get there first, clumsy toddler pats and hugs, face set in determined moue as she tried to comfort her brother like she saw her mother do.

(More than one weeping Video Call included videos of the attempts, the two adult Midoriyas' sobbing over the pure, adorableness that was their children.)

Izuku was sweet and gentle and shy to his older twins loud and bright and curious self, but by the time they were three years old, there was no denying that both twins were smart.

One too many open cabinets where treats were _literally_ locked away, one too many too-clear words or sentences, and a single instance where Inko found the two of them sitting in front of the television with a Hero Cartoon on, volume low and subtitles on, slowly sounding out and stumbling over the katakana...

Well.

Every good mother and father would proudly declare their baby clever and smart and _genius_, but Inko had gotten a degree in sociology and another in social-science before she'd hit twenty-four, and Hisashi had three degrees in biology, chemistry, and quirk-biology by twenty-six. They were both far from stupid, despite what many people believed due to their overly emotional states. And, if there was one thing the two older Midoriyas knew from first-hand, was that bored, too-smart kids caused _mischief_.

So, one clear, warm day, Inko bundled her little ones up, dressed in their Hero-themed onesies (Izuku in his All Might, and Hinako in her Gang Orca-fanged hood included) and wrestled them out the door to the local park. As soon as they arrived, Hinako was gone, darting around the play-area, roaring at the other children and obligingly chasing any who ran, giggling loudly the whole while. Izuku, of course, was content to cling to Inko's leg until he felt comfortable enough, or curious enough, to hesitantly stumble towards his happily playing sister. As soon as the twins were playing, thoroughly distracted by their many new playmates, Inko slumped slightly on the bench she'd carefully sat on and released a relieved sigh.

"Finally escaped, huh?" An amused voice asked, making Inko jolt, startled, before flushing in embarrassment to realize that the bench she'd all but sprawled on had already been claimed by a spiky-haired blond woman with a smug smirk, crimson eyes, and a drawing pad perched on one knee.

"Ah, w-well," she started, laughing sheepishly at her startled reaction. "I'm just relieved that they're having fun."

"Hoping to run out some of that energy, huh?" the blond asked in a wry, commiserating way.

"Well... Yes," Inko admitted with a sigh, slumping again. "They're just too smart for their own good sometimes," she told the other woman. "And, if one of them isn't getting into something, the other is, and, well..." The blond snorted, grinning at her.

"Oh, believe me, I fucking know it," she agreed, making Inko fluster a bit at her crude language. "I've only got the one brat, little asshole that he is, but he's managed to break four bowls, three tea cups, and a cabinet door in the last two weeks, driving me up the fucking _wall_, I swear, little shit," she groused good-naturedly, and Inko tittered awkwardly, relieved that she had seemingly found someone who understood a little of her struggles, but still caught off guard by all the swearing. The seemingly shameless blond stuck out a hand, grinning at Inko easily.

"Bakugo Mitsuki," she told Inko easily. "My spawn is chasing yours around now, looks like. Name's Katsuki." Inko took the woman's hand to shake, following the others head-nod to find a little boy with spiky blond hair and red eyes indeed chasing Hinako, grinning fiercely as Izuku followed him, giggling, as Hinako shrieked gleefully and lead them on a dizzying crusade through the playground.

"Ah, Midoriya Inko," the green-haired woman informed the blond, smile warming at the obvious friendship budding between their children. "My little ones are Hinako and Izuku, or, well," she smiled brightly as Izuku's loud 'I AM HERE!' bellowed over the general shrieks and play of the other children as he darted past the surprised Katsuki to tackle his sister, making Hinako shriek with glee as she went down. "Gang Orca and All Might, apparently."

"Yours too, huh?" Mitsuki snorted, rolling her eyes fondly as Katsuki joined in, dogpiling Hinako with a bellow and sending the three into an undignified roll as they screeched and yowled and laughed. "My brat has been chattering damn-near non-stop about how he's going to beat All Might and be the Number One Hero one day," she told Inko. "Shrimp needs to grow up a bit before he can even _dream_ of that shit, but, what the fuck do _I_ know, I'm just his _mom_," she drawled, rolling her eyes, and Inko laughed, covering her mouth with one hand automatically, eyes glittering happily as she grinned at Mitsuki.

"My Izuku is the same, well, in a way," she told the other woman. "He wants to _be_ just like All Might. Practically worships the man," she sighed, smiling fondly as Hinako managed to unbury herself from the two boys with a smug cackle as she once more took off at a sprint, the two scrambling to follow immediately after. "Hinako says she wants to be like Gang Orca, who is, in her words, 'much cooler than All Might because he's a Hero even though people think he's Scary'," Inko chuckled softly.

"The amount of money I've spent on Hero-themed toys," Mitsuki complained.

"Oh, _I know, right?!"_ Inko squawked.

The two of them spent an hour and a half, reminiscing first over lost money for toys and clothes and themed blankets, then shared complaints about toddler-disapproved foods and settling on exchanging phone numbers and agreeing to meet up more often.

It was a firm friendship between them, brought on by children playing and the shared woes of new-time parents. And, as Inko settled the Twins down for their naps and booted up a Video Call to share the news with Hisashi, she couldn't help the bright, happy smile that lit her face. She hoped that their children stayed close, because she could already tell that Bakugo Mitsuki was the kind of interesting that she would have glued herself to in high school. The same kind her mother and father always warned her away from.

But, well, they'd warned her away from ever marrying a Hero, too, she mused as Hisashi's bright, dimpled smile filled the screen, still in his Hellcat outfit and obviously still at work, though filing paperwork rather than patrolling. And, well, Inko doubted she'd have ever been happier than she was when she married this silly man, so her parents were hardly a reason to give up on newfound friendship.

"_Hey there, my Mochi-Goddess,"_ Hisashi greeted without shame, making Inko giggle and beam at him as he waggled his eyebrows, the freckles on his cheek standing out like dots of soot under his bright red hair. _"How has your day been?"_

"I made a friend today," she told him; immediately, her husband lit up, ecstatic for her and demanding all the details. Laughing, Inko obeyed, heart warm and chest filled with hope.

The future already looked brighter in the Midoriya Household, and, with hard work, she had no doubt it would stay that way.

**A/N:** Sorry for the switch-up between POVs, but it's important! Most of this fic will be in Hinako's POV with occasion 3rd person outsider POV, so be prepared! Also, this Inko and Hisashi is based slightly off my **Greener Grass** AU, only Inko was never a Vigilante but Hisashi is still a Todoroki and a literal Cinnamon Roll of Sunshine and Precious. They are adorable together and _**I love them**_.

(Fuck Off all you Abusive/Villain/Asshole!Hisashi's! CINNAMONROLL!HISASHI FOR THE WIN!)

Anyways, just as heads up!

**Bakugo Katsuki is literally one of my least favorite characters in this anime/manga**.

And I will do my best not to be horribly, _horribly_ biased or Bashing in this fic, but shit is GOING TO HAPPEN, and it WILL SEEM LIKE BASHING to anyone who loves him, but yeah, no.

He's a verbally and physically abusive asshole and, in RL, would have been arrested at, like, 12 for some of the shit we've seen IN FLASHBACKS let alone the shit he's pulled at the school, and FUCK Plot Armor, Aizawa would have CANONICALLY expelled him probably before the Camp if the writer had **actually** stuck to the canon characterization for the man.

But yeah, I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Working on the next chapter already! No idea when I'll get it out but there will be cuter and a little less existential issues next time, I swear!

(And shorter A/Ns FML)

R&R!


	2. Chapter One: You Can Be A Hero!

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

**Solar Radiation**

**Chapter One:**

_You Can Be A Hero!_

Ever since I could remember, I had felt warm. Oh, not feverish or sick or hot, just... _Warm_. And touching things made the warmth spread. Sunlight was the best, since it _already_ spread all over me, carrying the warmth with it. Izuku made me warm, too, whenever he smiled at me or he got super excited, all I'd have to do is hold his hand, and it was like his excitement spread warmth as well. He would always settle down a little afterwards, and nap longer, but that was okay, because even if I wasn't tired, I liked to curl up in bed and just listen to the world. Sometimes, if I timed it right, naptime lined up with the sun being directly on my bed for _hours_, and I could just curl up in the warmth and cuddle it, like it was my Gang Orca plush.

Sometimes, after a long day outside on _really_ bright days, I could swear I saw my skin _glow_ _in the dark_ when I hid under my blanket to stare. I worked really hard those nights, to be quiet and still, because Izuku and Kaachan tended to be extra tired, but sometimes it felt like if I didn't _move_ the warmth would get too hot and I'd burn right up! So, I'd slide out of my bed to sit on the floor and do the stretches I sometimes saw people do on TV when it was _reeeally_ early, even if I didn't have a mat like they did and the names made me want to grin.

Downward Facing Dog made me think of the silly Updog joke I saw on the internet when I'd managed to distract Izu with a Hero fight on the news so I could read the latest articles on Gang Orca. I liked the way the stretches made me feel, all loose and a little achy and, every time I did them, I could stretch a little more each time! And that was _really_ important...

I didn't know why it was important, just that it _was_. Just like eating all my vegetables and running as much as possible and reading and writing was important. Like knowing where all the fire escapes were and how to climb trees and the difference between a cut and a scrape and how to treat them, so you didn't get sick. Some things, I didn't understand _how_ I understood them, but it was like, like when you smell something and then you remember the last time you smelled it! Just with, well, _everything_.

Like I knew it already, but had forgotten it, so I had to relearn it again.

Sometimes, it got confusing, because some things didn't match up with my not-memories. I kept trying to read manga the wrong way, or I'd try to write my name but keep making the wrong marks until it was this messy splotch that I had to cross out. It was _frustrating_ when that happened, and my hands would get hot and kind of tingly and sometimes, on really bad days, I'd have to get a new crayon because they got too soft and wet.

Quirks were like that, too, I think. Izu couldn't _wait_ for his Quirk! He wanted to have a really good one, so he could be a great Hero! He was super excited about it, and I helped him as best I could, holding paper towards him so that it wouldn't move unless he managed to Pull it like Kaachan, and holding the freezer door open so he could see if his breath was super-hot in case he got Fire-Breath like Touchan. I even helped him by checking his temperature every day to see if he got warm like Touchan's cousin Touya did, but he never melted the thermometer like Touya-Nii did once in one of Touchan's stories.

...Touchan and Kaachans parents never visited, really, and we didn't really know their Quirks, but Izu was _so excited_ I couldn't help but be excited for him.

Still, practicing for Quirks or playing Hero with Kacchan wasn't all we did. Today, we were at home, working on our writing for Touchan's Call so we could show him how good we were doing. I was very carefully writing out Gang Orca's name in black when I noticed Izu chewing on his lip. He only did that when he wanted to ask a question but didn't want to be called stupid. Kacchan did that a lot, even though I hit him when he did.

Kaachan says it's wrong to hit someone when you're angry, but she also says bullying someone is wrong. Kacchan says that the strong beat the weak, and his Mitsuki-Baa says that he's a little shit and shouldn't be worrying about who's weak or not when he's a shrimp. I just know that hitting him makes him leave Izu alone, even if it means we end up wrestling and hitting each other on the ground. (It's not as fun as it used to be, when it was just playing. It hurts more now, not the hits, but my chest does.)

"Otouto, you can ask a question," I told him earnestly, firmly. Immediately, he perked up, smiling brightly. A little piece of me, something that sat in my chest and threatened to rise up the back of my throat, made me want to punch Kacchan the next time we saw him, but I knew I couldn't do it just _because_.

He'd give me a reason, anyways. I'd just have to be patient!

(Patience was a constant friend, always there, always waiting, always settled in the cold of my head waiting, waiting, _waiting_. It could wait. It had time. _All the time in the world until I D-..._)

"Neechan, when do you think our Quirks will come in?" Izu asked me bright, big eyes wide and sparkling, forcing me to blink away the weird coldness that tasted bitted like dirt on my tongue. I wrinkled my nose, absently rubbing my tongue against my teeth as I mused.

"I dunno, Otouto," I told him honestly. "Maybe tomorrow. Or next year. Or _ten_ _years_ from now," I told him, shrugging. "Maybe they'll never come. Or maybe they'll come, and we won't even know it 'cause we don't know how to turn them on! Whatever and whenever they happen, even if it's _never_," I told him seriously, leaning forward and holding his big dark green eyes with my pale green eyes. "No matter what, you'll be a Hero, okay? I'll make _sure_ you be a Hero." Tears filled his eyes, mouth wobbling as he sniffled and sobbed quietly.

"Y-you too, right, Neechan?" he asked wobblily; I blinked, cocking my head at him. "Y-you'll be a Hero too! W-with me, right, Neechan?" I stared at him for a second, before smiling brightly.

"Sure thing, Otouto!" I agreed easily. "I gotta make sure you make it to Number One, don't I?"

"N-Neechan!" He wailed, throwing himself around the table, knocking our crayons all over the floor and making me squeal with laughter as I was pinned on my back, wrapping my arms tightly around my little brothers' scrawny shoulders. The familiar Warmth filled me, making my smile go even wider as I cuddled my brother close, petting his sort, messy, spikey-curls as I did. His crying got steadily quieter and quieter, until I blinked and realized he was fast asleep. I sighed happily, and cuddled him closer, drinking in the Warmth and comfort as I did.

It wasn't until I realized that Izu was shivering that something registered to me as _wrong_. Quickly, I sat up, my brother slipping down into my lap.

"Otouto?" I asked, uncertainly staring at him. He looked paler than he had, teeth chattering and lips faintly purple. Wide-eyed with fear, I carefully set him on the ground, my fingers shaking.

"K-Kaachan?" I called; voice choked as tears filled my eyes. In the kitchen I heard Kaachan give a curious 'hmm?' sound. "Kaachan!" I shouted, tears falling as I clutched Izuku's shirt in my hands. Vaguely, I heard the sound of glass shattering as Kaachan dropped whatever dish she was washing to come tearing into the room. I looked up at her, weeping raggedly as I struggled to keep from clutching my brother close, _something_ telling me that if I did it would be _bad_.

"Izuku!" Kaachan shouted, going pale as my brother was and falling to her knees, scooping him up and desperately looking him over. "Hinako, what happened?!"

"I, I d-dunno!" I sobbed, wrapping my arms around myself, instinctively tucking my hands under my arms so they wouldn't reach for Izuku. "I-I hugged him, and, and he was w-_Warm_ and, and _I_ got W-Warm and I held him closer and, an' then he was _c-c-cold_ an' _I'm still Warm_," I wept, curling in on myself. If she'd been pale before, Kaachan was suddenly _gray_.

"O-okay, okay, it's okay, okay Hinako?" She stuttered, reaching out without hesitation to stroke a hand over my head. Briefly, I felt a flair of Warmth, and flinched away as I heard her breath stutter. "Oh, oh, okay, okay," she muttered, staggering to her feet, knees scrapped from when she fell on them minutes before, Izuku so small and _cold_ in her arms, his breaths _too quiet_. "You're not in trouble, it was an accident, right, sweetie? But Izu-chan, he's sick, now, so we've got to take him to the hospital, okay? Come on, quickly," she ordered gently, but firmly, making me scramble obediently for the door to force on my shoes as she wrapped Izu in his thick, fluffy All Might blanket, even though it was summer and hot outside. Quickly, we left the apartment, and I couldn't help but flinch when she tried to take my hand automatically, clamping my arms down over them tightly, pinning them into my armpits so she couldn't.

The parts of me that just _understood_ things already figured out what happened, that y hands made it _worse_, that my _skin_ was bad, but my _hands_ were _worse._ And, bundled into the car, driving much, _much_ faster than she'd ever done before, I knew Kaachan knew too.

"Is, is he gonna, gonna d-d..." I started to ask, weeping quietly.

"_**No**_," Kaachan told me fiercely, so strong and sure and clear that I _had_ to believe her, even if the Knowing part seemed to disagree to a point, pointing out the _possibility_. "Izu-chan's going to be fine, alright sweetie? It's going to be okay. It's not your fault, understand?" She asked; sniffling, I nodded miserably even though I didn't believe her. I Knew it was my fault, though. Izu had been Warm and I'd _taken it_.

We were almost there, if Kaachan's muttering could be believed, when flashing lights and a clear siren lit up behind us, and Kaachan said a word that would make her put a whole five hundred yen in the Swear Jar on top of the fridge. Instead of pulling over, however, Kaachan used the sirens to speed up just enough that she could make it straight into the Emergency Parking for the Hospital, police car screeching to a stop behind her.

"Okay, okay, it's going to be okay, alright, sweetheart?" she gasped, fear making her voice shrill even as she bundled Izu out of the front seat and completely ignored the officer, who, after a second, rushed to help. He opened my door and I awkwardly slid out, flinching from his hand and shaking my head as my mother frantically tried to get a nurse's attention without leaving me behind.

"Don't touch my skin," I told the Officer when he reached for me again, my eyes darting to my brother and fresh tears falling down my face. "I'll t-take you're Warmth t-_too_," I sobbed, hunching down on myself. He said something gentle and placating and settled his hand carefully on my covered shoulder, urging me into the hospital behind Kaachan, who was already handing Izu over to the doctors, accepting his All Might blanket back tearfully.

"Her Quirk activated while they were hugging," she was managing to choke out through terrified tears as the doctors and nurses swarmed Izu and started taking him away. "She said, she said that he felt warm, and then _she_ felt warm, and he was cold? And, and he h-hasn't w-woken up yet," she hiccupped; a nearby doctor grimaced.

"Energy absorption or dispersion, one of those, I believe," he stated; there was a general mutter of agreement between barked orders and rushing feet. Soon enough, they were gone, and I hurried over to Kaachan as a nurse herded her into a chair, where she collapsed, sobbing into the All Might blanket as she did. The nice officer was there with me, but I didn't pay attention to his conversation with Kaachan, too busy staring down at my hands as I reluctantly pulled them out from my armpits to set, palm-up in my lap.

I'd gotten my Quirk, just like Izuku was always hoping, and I already wished it had never happened.

**~(LINE)~**

Izuku woke up a few hours later and had to stay at the Hospital for a full week before he could go home, and he slept a _lot,_ but the doctors said that was to be expected. As soon as we'd gotten home that first night, I'd gone to Izu and I's shared room, and dug through my closet until I'd managed to find my Gang Orca mittens from winter. Kaachan had called Touchan and the Bakugos, because she was going to wait at the hospital, but she didn't want me to be there too, not because she was worried _about_ me, I knew, but because she was worried _for_ me. 'Hospitals are no place for children,' she told me with a watery smile, squeezing my hands through my mittens as she dropped me off at the Bakugos.

I didn't even feel like punching Kacchan anymore.

Touchan showed up the next day, scratch whiskers on his face and deep bags under his eyes, but he didn't hesitate to scoop me into a huge hug, even though he was Warmer than anyone else, and I could _feel_ myself getting Warmer.

"It's alright, Firefly," he whispered as I sobbed into his neck, mittens catching on the back of his wrinkled suit jacket, the outline of his Hero costume buried under the layers of coffee-stained dress shirt and too-long slacks. "It's alright. You're going to be okay, and Izu's going to be okay, and it's alright now. You want to know why, Firefly?" hiccupping, I nodded shakily, and he nudged and tugged me until I leaned back, using my mittens to wipe the tears and drool and snot from my face until I could blink wetly up at him. He offered me the same smile he always did on the Video Calls, the bright one that dimpled his cheeks and made me feel warm but not _Warm_.

"Because _I am here_," he told me gently, sweetly; my mouth wobbled the same way Izuku's did, my matcha-colored eyes, _Touchan's eyes_, overflowing once again as I wailed and threw myself back into his neck, earning a weak chuckle.

A week later, when Izuku was weakly beaming at me, dark circles under his eyes and skin still pale, but _home_ and _awake_ and still too-cold for me even from across the _room_, I finally believed Touchan's words.

(I still wouldn't take off the mittens outside of the bathroom and washing throughout the day. My palms and fingers would tingle if I was near someone or some things too long, until I tucked them safe and tight under my arms. And the nightmares remained to.

Those would probably never go away. I'd just get better at hiding them from Kaachan and Touchan.)

**~(LINE)~**

A mutation of my parents Quirks, the doctor announced. I Pulled in energy, _any_ energy, like Kaachan could Pull small objects. And, as a result, I stored the energy, or 'Warmth', in my body like Touchan stored his flames, and could, potentially, expel that stored energy. It meant I needed less food than most people, because I could survive easily on sunlight and heat and electricity, and that I wouldn't need to sleep as much, and that I naturally ran a higher temperature than most people too.

But there were severe downsides to Energy Absorption.

While, like Kaachan, it was mostly based around my hands (my palms, mostly) that was only the _strongest_ point of my Quirk, which, like my Touchan's family, involved _all_ my skin. Too much stored energy would make my temperature rise and my skin glow, like a nightlight, but my body could only handle a certain level of raised temperature before my brain would start to cook and my organs began to fail. I used some of the energy just doing everyday things, like playing and running and my stretches, but, he warned, as I got older, I'd need to expend more and more energy to remain at safe leveled temperatures, and fevers or illness could be _dangerous_. And, he theorized, I would need a certain number of hours of sleep, or I risked giving myself brain damage, because sleep was how the brain rested and processed things, so too little, even if I didn't _feel_ tired, could be just as bad as not getting rid of energy.

He recommended I see a Quirk Therapist to help gain control of my hands and my new fear of touch, but declared that, unless I _consciously_ pulled on the 'Warmth' of those I touched, the unconscious drainage wouldn't put anyone in the hospital unless there was prolonged contact.

"You're past the worse of the Activation Overload," he grunted, scratching his mustache. Izuku was bouncing in his seat next to me, clutching his All Might toy tightly as he beamed.

"Yay, Neechan!" He squealed. "You're Quirk is gonna be _great_ as a Hero!" I smiled weakly back at him, tugging the new Gang Orca themed leather gloves Touchan had bought me, leaning against his side as Kaachan tried to get Izu to settle. Touchan pressed a kiss to my head without hesitation, even though I felt it drain some of his Warmth.

("Don't worry about that, Firefly," he told me the first time I'd panicked over t, a wry smile quirking his lips. "I'm a Todoroki, even though I threw that name away. We always run hotter than others. It's in the blood.")

"What about me?! Huh, huh?!" Izuku demanded, all but vibrating, eyes wide and smile huge. "What about my Quirk?!" I perked up a bit, locking eyes on the doctor hopefully. The man huffed, leaning back in an almost sprawl, utterly uncaring as he scratched his thigh and tilted his head back, so he wasn't looking at us.

_Stop him_, something, the Knowing part of me, suddenly hissed, making me jerk upright, eyes widening, mouth opening to stop him-

"You don't have one."

It was too late.

Beyond those words, I could hear Izu's heart _breaking_.

It sounded like the most horrible thing in the world.

And I felt the Warmth in my chest grow fever-pitch as determination filled me as the doctor told him to _give up_, a fury the likes of which not ever _Kacchan_ at his _cruelest_ had managed to stir.

"You shut up!" I shouted, lunging to my feet, the chair screeching back as bright, yellow-gold light radiated from me, my eyes locked on the suddenly still doctor. "You shut your stupid mouth! My brother is gonna be the _best damn Hero_ and he won't _need _a Quirk to do it, you _hear me_?!" I shouted, tears in my eyes and teeth bared. "An' I'll fight _anyone who says different!" _

The brightness in my skin rose to fever-pitch, so bright you could barely even see my outline, before it abruptly drained away, leaving me strangely cold and dizzy, swaying in place before Touchan scooped me up.

The tiles I'd bee standing on had warped, leaving a perfect impression of my feet.

"Well, that's you told, then," Touchan declared mildly as he cradled me close, breathing almost too-hot air on me until I had taken enough Warmth to not feel so _cold_ anymore. "While we appreciate your _professional opinion_, Doctor Tsubasa, we'll be leaving now." With a curt nod, Touchan herded us out the door, radiating warmth and light and _Warmth_ enough that I soon felt good enough to squirm around in his arms until I could see Kaachan, who was carrying a sniffling, quiet Izu to her chest.

"I meant it, Otouto," I told him sternly, making him look up at me with watery eyes. Scowling fiercely, I reached out, the first time I'd initiated hand-to-hand touch between us since that faithful day three weeks ago, making his eyes go wide before he tentatively took my gloved hand in his. I laced our fingers together tightly, and held his gaze, feeling tears fill my eyes as I held his gaze.

"You _will_ be a Hero," I stated, a sure and strong as the sun, and, even though his face crumbled as he began to weep once more, Izuku shakily squeezed my hand and offered a wobbly, snotty smile.

"T-together, N-N-Neechan," he choked out, sobbing. I smiled, small but warm, and squeezed back.

"Together."

It was my promise of a lifetime.

**A/N:** (Whistles innocently)  
Did I promise fluff and cuteness and no existential thoughts/crisis's? Heheheheheheh…  
You should know me by now.  
Also, Good Parent!Inko and Hisashi is my LIFE fucking FIGHT ME.  
Also, Hisashi has nicknames for all of them. Inko is his Mochi-Goddess, Hinako is his Firefly, and Izuku is his Glowstick. Why these nicknames/ Because they're cute and I like them. Inko just called Hinako an interchangeable Sweetie/Sweetheart and Izuku is Honey/Love.  
Cute Nicknames should be a necessity of any stable family. My mom has nicknames for me and my two sisters, and we all have nicknames for each other. No one else calls us by our nicknames and it is definitely a must-have. Points for shameless use in company.  
Another thing, I hope I gave a good enough explanation for Hinako's Quirk? It DOES have a hand/Touch-Based aspect, but it encompasses ALL of her skin. However, Inko's Quick is Hand-Based and Hisashi's his Internally Based, so I wanted a good mix and, well, Fire is Energy. She PULLS IN ENERGY. I thought it was a nice mutation, and I think I gave it enough realistic Cons? Oh more are bound to crop of, just like pros or aspects no one expects, but the cons are my favorite thing to figure out because most people just go for obvious ones? Like, you have the ability to read peoples minds! Con? You have to touch them and you'll get a headache. Done. Yeah, naw, how about: You have to touch them with all five fingers on bear skin, but over-use will damage your brain and give you severe nose-bleeds and chronic migraines, and any time you do it after a certain point, you risk internal bleeding or even a fatal aneurism. See, I like REALISTIC Cons. Cause and Effect is a huge thing I focus on in my fics, so some things may seem OOC or "Not Canon Compliant" but that's mostly because I can't usually wrap my head around trying to type out all the ridiculous situations that happen in anime/manga that are just? Unnecessary? Or stupid?  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! I'm going to bed I've been up for a full 22 hours now and I have to work tomorrow lol RIP.

R&R!


	3. Impressions Both Great and Small

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter!

Real quick, though!

To everyone commenting that they don't like the Cover Art, or that its scary or bad: Y'all are lucky that I know my drawing can be shit, especially when it comes to people, lolz. What matters is that **I** like it!

I drew Hinako in as close to the Anime's character style as I could, using images of younger Inko and Shouto to try and give her a Midoriya AND Todoroki look.

I gave her a short, semi-mohawk with buzzed sides bc I thought it fit her character better than longer hair or Izuku-hair.

I gave her a bruise and split lip and a couple scars bc she's JUST LIKE IZUKU when it comes to jumping between people fighting, but with the gleeful confidence to back it up.

I fucked up while inking her outlines which is why her mouth looks gross, but I wanted to give her thinner lips bc all the girls are a lil too Waifu for me sometimes.

You can find a bigger (and clearer) picture of her on my Deviantart, where you're able to see that her Tie Clasp is a little Gang Orca wrapped around it, and she's got a bit of blood spatter on her left shoulder from either her busted lip or someone else's. I also gave her a couple piercings that I haven't decided will be canon or not yet, bc she's a punk ass music lover.

So, go ahead and diss my art, I don't really care, but at least give me constructive criticism instead of "Its just sooo bad!" bc I know I'll never be a FANTASTIC artist, but if I'm proud of something, then THAT'S what matters.

Also, I forgot to include this lil tidbit last chapter, but about the Swear Jar!

Inko and Hisashi are 1st time parents who want their too-pure-and-smart bbys to grow up to be the best, too-pure adults they can. But they are also adults. This means they swear. (Also Fuck all y'all with the Naïve/Too-Innocent Inko tropes, that chick may not be confrontational, but you can bet she sure as fuck chewed Mitsuki out a time or too over Bakugo's repeated asshole-ness. Why else would they ever be friends? BC Mitsuki doesn't strike me as someone who chills with wet-rags and her husband is just as non-confrontational as Inko.) And Hisashi is in America. Need I say more about the state of our pottymouths?

To prevent themselves from using it too much, however, they go Plus Ultra on their Swear Jar. 500 Yen is just about 5 USD (it's more like 536.08 or something but I digress). Hisashi contributes even while away, and sometimes Inko gets a letter within a letter with the words 'Swearing Fines' on it that usually is in the thousands.

The Swear Jar is money that, once full, get's put directing into the Twins bank accounts, split evenly between them. BC fuck yeah college funds amiright?

Anyways, once again this has gotten way too long, and I take the A/Ns out of the actual wordcount when I decide to close a chapter, so I hope you enjoy!

**Solar Radiation**

**Chapter Two:**

_Impressions Both Great and Small_

Being Quirkless, in my opinion, wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to Izu. He could have gotten a Quirk too dangerous to allow him to work outside of certain conditions, or one that came with dangerous health concerns, like mine! Or he could have gotten a weak Quirk that was _incredibly_ bad for combat. There were countless things that could have happened that would have been _so much worse_ than just being Quirkless.

But Izu's a four-year-old who'd just been told that his dream was impossible.

It took him a week to stop crying whenever he watched All Might videos, especially his favorite one of the Hero's Debut. Kaachan cried a lot too, and apologized a lot, even though Touchan said it wasn't anyone's fault and that you shouldn't apologize for things you didn't do. I just hugged them both a lot and threw myself into looking up training plans that were safe for children our age to do.

Izu threw himself, after that week, into studying Heroes in more depth than ever before. He dedicated himself to writing, watching videos of Hero fights over and over and noting everything he could about them.

"If I know how other peoples Quirks work, and how they can improve, than I can use that to help others!" He told me excitedly after I found him scribbling on scrap paper, before Kaachan got us both journals. The first Journal he was trying to fill was called **Hero Analysis for the Future, VOL 1**, and it was, of course, completely dedicated to all things All Might. Not that I could blame him, of course, when I was filling my own journal called **Routines and Studies for Heroics, VOL 1**. Not that those titles were written on the notebooks anywhere, only a number on the fronts and the first page or two filled with Hero drawings, but that was for safety reasons. No one expects little kids to have analysis journals and such, after all!

Touchan bought us both dozens of colored pens, pencils, and markers to work on them, and offered his own, old school journals called **The Biologics of Quirks**. Kaachan bought us a dozen composition journals to start, mine all blue and Izu's all black. Izu carried his HAF journal with him _everywhere_, muttering to himself as he scribbled and doodled in it, while I left my RSH journal at home. I usually wrote in my journals at night, so that I had something to distract myself with when I couldn't sleep, the faint glow of my skin acting as a light for me.

While I was using the journal to organize things for later, I realized Izu was using his to hide. Mostly from the other kids our age, but especially from Kacchan. The other boy had gotten his Quirk just after me, able to make explosions with his hands using his sweat. Izu had, of course, been _ecstatic_ for the other boy and me both, before Doctor Tsubasa had given us the news. Kacchan hadn't really treated me different, a little more like I was someone to fight and less like we were friends, but that wasn't that different than usual, actually.

As soon as he found out that Izu was Quirkless, though? It wasn't very good.

"Stupid _Deku_!" The blond shouted as he and his two friends used their Quirks on Izu as he stood between them and a crying, hurt boy. We were at the park alone, our apartment building within direct eyesight. I'd slipped away to go to the bathroom and had been struggling to slide my leather gloves on my hands, which were damp from being washed. I looked up just in time to see them hurting my brother, and, just like at the doctors, I _reacted_.

The Warmth in my chest roared into Heat, making me glow fever-bright and, suddenly, I was lunging, so much faster than ever before, and my hands, my _bare, tingling hands_, were latching onto Kacchan's. The sick-sweet smell of his explosions making my nose itch even as the force of our hands locking slammed him away from both my brother and his friends.

"Don't you _ever_," I hissed furiously, glaring at him as, snarling, he kept trying to blow me away. "Don't you _ever_ hurt my little brother!"

"Shut up and _die already_!" He shrieked back at me, Explosion getting stronger and louder, blasts rapid and continuous, but all it did was feed my own, making me brighter and brighter. Our palms were pressed together tightly, my Energy Absorption cancelling his Explosion. But it wouldn't last forever, both of our Quirks would hurt us.

"Neechan!" Izu shouted, stumbling towards us even as Kacchan's friends raced over as well.

"Stay back, Otouto!" I barked sharply. "I don't wanna hurt you on accident again, okay?"

"O-okay, Neechan," he stuttered, stopping uncertainly. I saw his expression from the corner of my eye and watched as his eyes widened before he turned around and ran back to the other kid who'd been hurt. I got distracted, however, when one of Kacchan's friends, the one with the hand Quirk, grabbed onto my bare arm, only to cry out and let me go, leaving behind a few slips of Warmth and taking red, painful-looking hands. Sweat was dripping down my face and Kacchan's as well, our muscles straining against each other, teeth bared, and eyes narrowed.

I could feel the Heat getting too high, my palms starting to hurt instead of just tingle, but Kacchan's hands were trembling, the only thing keeping his palms stuck to mine was my tightly curled fingers. Neither of us was going to quit, even if we were hurting ourselves, not in this. Kacchan would see it as him winning, which would make him feel like what he'd done to Izuku was _okay_, but it _wasn't_. Using your Quirk like that _wasn't okay_, it was _illegal_!

Hurting people with your Quirk just because you could, was something _Villains_ did, not _Heroes_.

Luckily, we didn't have to decide who would win. Before our Quirks could reach the point of _really_ hurting either of us, our Kaachan's appeared.

"Midoriya Hinako!" Kaachan said sharply, her Pull latching onto my ear and yanking me sternly away, even as Mitsuki-baa latched onto Kacchan's with her sharp fingers, snarling furiously.

"Katsuki, you little shit!" She snapped furiously as the boy yowled like a scalded cat and I forced my fingers to release his as I staggered towards Kaachan, a tearful, determined Izu hidden behind her, the faint burns and bruises on his face still clear. The Heat was still too high, though, and, grimacing, I pointed my hands at the ground and forced it out, hissing as my palms and fingers _burned_, the ground directly under them sizzling and sparking as my too-bright glowing began to quickly dim. _Not too much_, I reminded myself sternly. _Touchan said never do too much._

I had to do it two more times, crying by the end of the final release because my hands hurt so badly. Kaachan waited until I was finished before using Pull to lead me by the ear back towards the apartment. Mitsuki-baa had already dragged Kacchan away, and his friends had run off when Hands-Boy got burnt. From the look on Kaachan's face, I don't think I should be worrying about the other kids.

**~(LINE)~**

Kacchan and I were both grounded, me for two weeks and him for three since he started it by bullying Izu. I'd also gotten nasty, blistering burns all over my hands and a little up my wrists, too, and Kacchan sprained both his wrists. Apparently, after Izu had helped the other hurt boy to his feet, my little brother had run straight home and told Kaachan and Mitsuki-baa, who were having tea. Of course, they'd spent a moment fussing over his own burns and bruises, before they'd caught our stand-off through the window and finally registered exactly what was going on.

Moodily curled up under my blanket, I chewed on my favorite red pen as I broodingly stared at my RSH. Gang Orca was sketched out roughly, arms crossed and glaring in disapproval. After a moment, I sighed guiltily and tiredly wrote in one of his catchphrases in a speech-bubble.

"_When faced with the choice between detaining a Villain and rescuing a Civilian..._

_It is a Hero's duty to always choose the latter, even at the cost of the Villain escaping."_

It was one of his more controversial quotes, but it was an ideal my Hero lived by. Gang Orca was the Number Ten Hero and could have been even higher on the list if Polls weren't biased. He had almost as high a Rescue Rate as Endeavor, with three times lower amounts of property damage, less than three percent instances of friendly fire, and a strict moral and ethical code that he _lived_ by. He was fierce and smart and strong and _brave..._

But, because he looked scary, _like a Villain_, his popularity scores kept him firmly pinned down. He had even been voted as the _Top Third Hero_ that _looked _like a Villain. Centipeder was first on that list, followed by Ectoplasm as second. The thing these Heroes had in common?

_They didn't __**look**__ like Heroes._

"The world is shallow and filled with hypocrites and liars," I muttered, yet another quote, although this one was from one of the forum's I followed online for my Gang Orca updates. The original poster, DisillusionedCynic, had only started posting in the last few months, and almost all their posts were rants on the shallow, greedy nature of most heroes and how they were dangerous, disgusting fakes. All Might, according to them, was one of the few _True Heroes_ out there, although they acknowledged that Gang Orca was right up there as well after I sent them a link to the fan-page I'd made with the real numbers for him and everything.

The point was, that I'd been so distracted by Kacchan attacking Izu, that I hadn't even cared about the other hurt boy, not even after I'd gotten Kacchan away. I hadn't just separated them and then stayed between the bullies and their victims; I'd just focused on stopping Kacchan. A Hero couldn't afford to do that, though. _Izuku_ hadn't done that. Once he saw I had Kacchan pinned, he'd immediately gotten the other boy away, and then gone to get adults, _like we were supposed to do_.

I thought I was protecting him, like a Big Sister should, like a _Hero_ should, but Izuku was the real Hero between us.

Sighing softly, wiggling my bandaged fingers with a grimace, I sat up and let my blanket pool around me like a fuzzy puddle of comfort. Across the room, in his own bed, Izuku snored softly, making little snuffling bunny noises occasionally. I smiled a little, turning to tuck my journal away on the little shelf above my bed, pen on top, and prepared to lay back down to try and sleep, when my eyes caught a faint light under the door. Pausing, I blinked at it, before quickly crawling out of bed, wrapping my blanket around me tightly to hide my own glow, flipping some over my head like a hoodie as I did so I wouldn't wake Izu when I passed his bed.

Carefully, I opened our bedroom door and crept down the hall towards the kitchen, the murmur of voices picking up as I went. I paused as I realized it was Kaachan talking, and Touchan as well, no doubt on the Video Screen. I hesitated to move forward, not wanting to eavesdrop but too curious now to re-settle without knowing. After another second, I tightened my blanket, tucking it tightly around my shoulders and over my head so that it covered more of my skin, and then I tiptoed closer.

"-Mitsuki says that I shouldn't be worried," Kaachan was saying; I sat down and curled up against the wall just beside the kitchen doorway, staying out of sight. "I just, I know Hinako and Izuku are smarter than your average four-year-old, but I'm just so worried about _what_ they're learning. I thought I was paying enough attention, but, maybe, maybe letting them watch so many Hero fights wasn't a good idea..."

"_If they didn't see them at home, they would have seen them on literally any TV or website or cell phone, Inko-Chan,"_ Touchan told her gently. _"There are always going to be Hero fights. The best we can do is raise our little ones to know right from wrong, despite the fact that social media twists that every day. What did Mitsuki say about Katsuki-kun's bullying?"_ Kaachan sighed, and I wrapped my arms around my knees.

"Apparently he doesn't think he did anything wrong, because, and I quote, 'Heroes are the strongest'. According to him, he was just showing Izuku who was stronger and is extremely angry that Hinako 'challenged' him." Kaachan sighed tiredly. "Mitsuki is exasperated, of course, and is going to sit him down for a stern talk at the end of his grounding, just to make sure he understands _why_ he was grounded. Of course, she also told me that Hinako should take some kind of martial arts classes. She's thinking of signing Katsuki-kun up as well, if he actually listens to her and stops attacking other kids." She sighed fondly, and I chewed on my lip as I looked at my shimmering hands under the blanket.

"_It could only help,"_ Touchan said easily. _"The Quirk Trauma Councilor suggested getting her more involved with her hands, since she's developed a minor phobia of touching people now, and you know that the Doctor said that she could learn to control the Absorption aspect of her Quirk with practice."_

"I know," Kaachan agreed softly, and I heard a rustling noise, like a hand going through her hair. "I know that, Zashi, and I want my little girl to not be afraid to hold even my hand, but I just..."

"_It's okay to be worried, my Mochi-Goddess,"_ Touchan told her warmly. _"It means you're doing something right, if you're worried about it. You're worries and feelings are valid, and the only person who can decide what you're feeling is you."_ I felt a smile tug my lips and Kaachan laughed softly; the deep love and fondness my parents held for each other never ceased to make my heart Warm and affectionate. I loved my family so much.

"Thank you, silly man," Kaachan told Touchan affectionately. "I guess I'm just worried about encouraging her to fight. I know... I know Izuku still has his heart set on being a Hero, and I know Hinako is dedicating to seeing him there and becoming one with him, but I just..."

"..._Don't want her to feel like it's her only career option because of her Quirk, intelligence, and Family?"_ Touchan finished, voice wryly amused. _"I understand completely."_

"Oh, I know, I know," Kaachan chuckled softly. "And I know we're nothing like the Todoroki's, and I know that we're letting them decide on their own what they want. I just, I get the feeling that Hinako doesn't _care_ about being a Hero, but she's going to do it anyways, if that makes sense?" I felt my breath catch; my eyes widen as I tightened my hold on my legs. "It's like she doesn't see that she doesn't _have_ to be a Hero, that she could do anything else if she really wanted. It's like she's just fallen into this mindset where she doesn't particularly _want_ to be a Hero, but it's what she's been offered so she might as well do her best, you know. And I don't want either of my babies to just, just _settle_ on something," Kaachan's voice grew choked and teary, and my shoulders hunched. "I want them to be _happy_, Zashi, and, and I kn-know that, that helping Izuku and, and training and planning on being a Hero is something she _enjoys_, but I don't w-want her to just _push through_ if she's unhappy just because she thinks she doesn't have a choice!" Kaachan's voice rose with her steadily quickening words, until a soothing sound from Touchan had her cutting herself off with a muffled sob.

My eyes burned and, under the blanket, my glow began to dim as something cold grew in my throat, something cold and sad and _guilty_ but I didn't know _why_. The part of me that Knew things understood, and in a way _I_ understood, that Kaachan was worried and that I hadn't done anything _wrong_ but, for some reasons, my chest felt heavy and my shoulders wouldn't un-curl, and the deep, muscle-numbing _cold_ was settled in the base of my throat and a hard rock of _sadness_ was settling in my gut.

Vaguely, I heard Touchan reassuring Kaachan that they could talk to my Councilor about it. They continued talking, but it was... Muffled, weirdly. I just... I just felt tired and heavy, all of a sudden. And _cold_. But, but not _cold-cold_ just...

I found myself shuffling silently back to our room, sliding through the door and climbing into my bed. I curled there, bundled in my blanket, back to the room and the window. I just felt _heavy..._

When Kaachan came to get us up hours later, I couldn't find it in myself to hop out of bed with my usual happiness. Usually, I couldn't _wait_ for the excuse to stop laying down, since the sun didn't shine on my bed until a little after noon. But I was just so _cold_ and heavy...

Kaachan checked my temperature, but I wasn't hotter or colder than normal, despite how I felt. She called Touchan, bundled me and Izuku into the car, and drove to the doctor's office. Doctor Misako, our new doctor after we stopped going to see Tsubasa, was a nice woman with blue, braided hair and dark tan skin with shimmery gold spots, like a Leopard. Her Quirk was call Inconspicuous, which let her shift her markings and camouflage poorly when she was in a crowd. It didn't hide her, but it made her seem less interesting and uninteresting. She tended to use it to sneak up on her co-workers to make her patients giggle.

She took my temperature, and checked my eyes and ears, and even my blood pressure. But I wasn't sick. I wasn't hurt or sick, and I hadn't used my Quirk, so I wasn't low on energy. I was just...

Not okay.

"My chest feels heavy," I told Doctor Misako slowly, tongue heavy and voice unusually quiet. "I feel heavy and cold and _sad_ but not sad? I don't know..." I sighed lowly and heavily, and slumped quietly against Izu's side, my Otouto worriedly patting my back and holding my bandaged hands in his. A small frown crossed Doctor Misako's face, before she handed the two of us suckers and gestured Kaachan out of the room to murmur to her quietly.

"Are you okay, Neechan?" Izu asked my quietly, tearfully; I forced the corners of my mouth to lift, but I couldn't smile, not fully.

"I'm going to be," I told him softly, squeezing his hands. "I'm just... Heavy. But I'll get better, okay? Don't worry, Otouto." Kaachan came back in and tried to smile at us before once again bundling us both into the car. She held my gloved hand extra tight, and she cried at the stop light,

I still felt Cold.

**~(LINE)~**

"Depression?" Kaachan asked my Councilor, Chichi-san. The other woman nodded serious across from us as I slumped in the chair, too cold and heavy to bounce around like I usually did. I usually loved visiting Chichi-san, who's Quirk was called Teddy Bear, a Mutant-type Quirk that literally made her look like a large pink and white teddy bear. She was even as soft and huggable as a toy bead, but warm with a heartbeat.

"At this point, it's looking that way," Chichi-san told Kaachan, her big green eyes gentle as she wiggled her dark green nose. "At first, I thought it could be a form of Bipolar Disorder, and it may in fact develop into that as she ages and her bodies hormones change, but, considering the symptoms she's having, the length of time this has gone on, and her reactions to certain stimuli-Or _lack_ of reactions, it's looking more and more like genuine depression."

"But, but she's _four_?" Kaachan managed, distressed, as she held my gloved hand even though it remained limp. Chichi-san shook her head gently, her large, round ears twitching a little as she did, the pretty red bow she was wearing around one fluttering a little with the movement.

"Studies have shown that depression and bipolar disorder are appearing in children younger than ten with increasing frequency over the last decade," my Councilor informed Kaachan sadly. "The pressure placed on little ones based solely on Quirks and their applications has also increased exponentially in that time, which may be a leading cause. I'm sure you've already started to see the signs of Quirk Discrimination towards Izu-Chan and Hina-Chan both, am I correct?" Kaachan flinched a little, hand tightening on mine, and I sighed quietly and squeezed it.

It had been four days since the Cold had first settled in. I missed being Warm, but even the brightest, clearest noon-time sunshine couldn't warm me up. It left me listless and hopeless and just... Tired. So, so very tired...

"What _caused_ it, though?" Kaachan asked Chichi-san desperately. "I, I know I have anxiety issues, and Izuku is starting to show those as well as Hizashi's ADHD, but we've managed to curtail any bad habits by using our own childhood problems. Hinako hasn't shown any signs of my anxiety, and she has only shown signs of ADHD when her Quirk is overcharged. What signs did we miss?" Kaachan sniffled and Chichi-san obligingly handed over a box of tissues, which Kaachan set firmly in her lap.

"Depression in children can be notoriously difficult to spot," my Councilor explained gently. "Most of the warning signs in particularly young children go untreated because they're attributed to the usual growing pains of hormones and natural developments. Has she been quick to anger or cry, lately? Before the, ah, the 'Cold' set in?" She asked gently, using the term I'd begun coining for the state I seemed to be stuck in. Kaachan hesitated.

"She's, she's been more protective of Izuku," she managed, wringing the damp tissue in her hand and rubbing a circle on my hand with her thumb. "She yelled at Doctor Tsubasa, that day we were told about, about Izuku's Quirklessness, and, and last week, she got in a fight with her friend who was bullying Izuku and the two of them burned each other's hands. She was, she was moody after that, sulky and defiant and angry, but we just thought it was because we grounded her for two weeks..." Chichi-san nodded calmly.

"Bouts of anger or churlishness and bad behavior in children that are usually well-behaved are some of the most-often ignored signs of Bipolar and Depression both," she told Kaachan. "But they are also signs' of hormones changing, so there's no guarantee that they were warning signs at all. The human brain is a complicated mess, to be frank," she told us with a gentle smile. "There are many different factors that can cause things like this. In your case, Hinako-Chan," she said, focusing her bright green eyes on me as I blinked tiredly at her, "it may in fact be a result of your Quirk no one was expecting."

"What do you mean?" Kaachan asked anxiously.

"Well, I've noticed, and Doctor Misako has confirmed, that Hinako-Chan's Quirk is what affects her body's physical state the most. Higher temperature, higher energy, lower food intake and sleep cycles, higher dangers to her health. The fact that her Quirk keeps her in a hyper-aware state as her _base_ state would undoubtably cause a higher chance of something happening with her brain chemistry. As strong and resilient to most things were humans are, the brain is an organ. If you overwork it, it will find ways to force you to allow it to rest and recharge. This, I believe, is what's happening to Hinako-Chan."

"So, she's just... Recharging?" Kaachan asked; Chichi-san nodded firmly.

"Her brain has been in overdrive for a few months, now. It's built up a few vacation days, as it were," she teased gently; I couldn't help but let out a little huff of amusement, earning a bright, relieved (and teary) smile from Kaachan and a wink from Chichi-san. "She's already improved drastically from that first day, where she was trying to adapt to suddenly being unable to use the energy she was used to. I have no doubt that she'll come out of this fugue-state naturally, which is excellent, because it means that her treatment options are far less dangerous than they could have been."

"Dangerous?!" Kaachan blurted, straightening suddenly; Chichi-san nodded calmly.

"You have to understand," my Councilor said, "that most antidepressants are dangerous for _adults_, let alone children under ten. The symptoms can fluctuate wildly, from mood swings to manic or depressive episodes, to even suicidal thoughts." Kaachan gasped, her hand latching more firmly onto mine. "Most doctors refuse to prescribe anything for children under eight, and even then, it tends to be Prozac, which is usually much gentler than normal antidepressants. As it is, until she's eight or older, I don't feel comfortable giving her such strong medications."

"Oh," Kaachan managed, torn between horror and relief, and Chichi-san laced her stumpy, stuffed fingers together in front of her seriously.

"The most important thing to remember, Inko-san, is that Depression _is_ treatable. It is a serious illness, not a phase or a short-term issue. Its _symptoms_ can be controlled and even prevented, but it _isn't_ something that goes away, especially not without proper treatment or care," she stated gently but firmly. "There are also several things you should be on the look-out for, and certain things _you_, and your husband, can do to help Hinako-Chan take care of herself."

"What can I do?" Kaachan asked, straightening once more, something bright and determined on her face and, suddenly, I found myself smiling faintly, because with her small frown and sharp eyes, I could see Izu's face. I could see _my_ face.

"There are a few warning signs you'll definitely have to keep an eye out for," Chichi-san told her, opening a drawer and pulling out a pamphlet before handing it to Kaachan. "If Hinako-Chan starts talking about suicide, or starts showing more interest in death or dying, that's the biggest and most obvious sign. Other, more subtle, signs are isolationist behaviors, disinterest in her usual hobbies, excessive sleeping, lack of appetite. These are signs that her depression is heading in a dangerous direction." Kaachan nodded sharply, already glancing through the pamphlet, eyes darting over the information there.

"Another thing you'll have to do is keep her from these behaviors by actively involving her. This means including her in social activities despite her Cold days. However," she added, voice firm, "this doesn't mean you should pressure her or overwhelm her. If this is her bodies way of recuperating from Overcharging, excessive activity in this state could extend the length of time it lasts or worsen the symptoms. A few examples of what you can do, is just ask her occasionally if she'd like to be by herself or if she wouldn't mind sitting with you. Even if she just curls up on the couch with you without speaking or interacting, it's better than just curling on her bed. This doesn't mean you should constantly as how she feels, which is hypocritical coming from a therapy councilor, I know," she smiled, and Kaachan smiled shakily back.

"Despite the fact that Hinako-Chan can't control the mental state that she's in now, she can articulate what she's feeling. A constant reminder that she's ill will only worsen her state, either making her frustrated enough to turn lethargy into anger or worsening her feelings of helplessness and guilt. She knows you love her, and she knows you can help her, now. She may need a reminder, but unless she deliberately avoids you or starts displaying those warning signs, I told you about, just being there and assisting when you can will help."

"Thank you, Doctor Chichi," Kaachan told her earnestly; my Councilor smiled and stood, Kaachan getting to her feet as well.

"It's not a problem, Inko-san," she replied kindly. "Hinako-Chan is a sweetheart, and it's always upsetting to see children in this state, let alone your _own_ children. I'm always happy to help." I managed to make it to my feet, slowly and laboriously, muscles feeling like they were made of lead. But, after four days, I'd gotten used to forcing myself to move. We bid Chichi-san goodbye; my hand clasped once more in Kaachan's as we went. Izu was at school today, so he wouldn't be home for a while yet. Once we got home, instead of just curling up in my bed like I wanted to, I forced myself to curl up in the couch with an animal documentary playing quietly as Kaachan puttered around the kitchen.

I was still Cold. Still Heavy and Cold and so, so _sad..._ But I knew now that I wasn't going to _stay_ like this. I was sick, I was depressed, but I could be _treated_. I could get _better_. It wouldn't go away, especially if Chichi-san was right and it was connected to my Quirk, but... But.

I didn't feel as hopeless as I did this morning.

And that...

That was good.

**~(LINE)~**

We were at the park again a few days later, even though I was still technically grounded. But Kaachan had to do paperwork, and Izu didn't want to leave me behind, and besides, it was sunny out, and Warm. I sat on the bench and offered a small smile to Izu when he peered worriedly at me. After a moment, he gave me a shaky smile and darted off to play on the playground set. I sat there, curled up and vaguely disconnected from the world around me, for I don't know how long, until I suddenly found someone sitting down on the opposite end of my bench.

"Hey there, kiddo," the man said, voice quiet and calm. I eyed him from the corner of my eye as alertly as I could, even with Heaviness dragging me down and Cold in my chest. He was a stranger who approached a little girl all by herself. He was gangly and long-limbed, with long blond hair pinned back in a messy half-bun. He had a tiny mustache and dark blue glasses and red eyes. He was dressed in well-worn pale jeans and a black jean jacket and a loose pink shirt. He was smiling a little as he watched the other kids play, but...

But it was like the smile I'd been using, since the Cold came.

"...Hi," I managed dully; he slumped a little as he leaned back, allowing the bench to hold his whole weight, and tilted his head back a bit so his half-bun supported his head.

"Not in the mood to play, huh?" he asked me; I twitched a shoulder with effort.

"My Councilor says its important that I feel involved in social activities even if I'm temporarily unable to enjoy them," I told him tiredly. "My Otouto wanted to run around outside, and its sunny out which he knows helps me re-charge my Quirk, so he's trying to be helpful. I wasn't gonna tell him no." The man seemed to still strangely, glasses glinting in the sunlight as he tilted his head just enough to eye me from the corners.

"Councilor, huh," he murmured; I nodded slightly.

"I've got Depression," I told him solemnly. "And my Councilor says it could be related to my Quirk, because otherwise I'm generally cheerful and bouncy, but for the last week and half, I've just been... Cold, and Heavy, and _sad_." I sighed lowly, closing my eyes briefly before forcing them open. The man stayed silent, something quietly considering on his face.

"Do you like music?" he asked me suddenly after almost ten minutes of silence; I blinked and lolled my head over to peer at him.

"What?" I asked him; he hummed.

"Do you like music?" He asked again, simply; I hesitated, then nodded, frowning a little in confusion. "Good. There's this Pro Hero, relatively new and not as popular because of it, but he's got his own radio show now. He plays non-stop music on Fridays, with only brief breaks where he greets everyone and takes a few requests, but he'll play pretty much everything. His name's Present Mic and it's the Put Your Hands Up Radio." The man turned his head, smiling faintly at me as I stared at him. "You're probably wondering why I asked, though, am I right, kiddo?" Carefully, I nodded, forcing myself to sit up so I could stare at him better. The man shifted, crossing his legs so that his right ankle sat on his left knee, and crossed his arms loosely as he stared back at me.

"I asked you if you liked music, because it was the first thing I could think of that might help you with those dark, aching feelings in your chest," he told me quietly. "You can't help that you're sad and tired and heavy, you can't just _decide_ not to be anymore despite how much you _want_ to feel better. And, no matter how hard you try, or your family tries, nothing feels like it's going to change how you feel, either. Even knowing you won't feel like this _forever_ doesn't really help. It just makes you feel a little less hopeless than before." My breath hitched as I stared at him, his smile now wry instead of just gentle. "Believe me, kiddo, when I say _I understand_. I get it, I really, do. You feel like your chest is full of lead and it takes so much effort to even _sit up_, but the world says you gotta get on your feet and keep walking_ anyways_, and the they all wonder _why_ you're sad or slow or hopeless and get mad when you _don't know_. And even the people closest to you, who try their hardest to make you feel better, don't get that they _can't_. And the more they try, the worse you feel, because you _want_ to feel better but you _can't_, and you feel worse because you know they're _trying_ but its not _helping_ and, before you know it, you start looking at places with long drops with more and more consideration..." he trailed off with a shudder, pausing to close his eyes with a grimace and breath, lifting a hand to dig his fingers through the loose hairs at the base of his half-bun, fingers trembling.

"...Sorry, kiddo," he muttered, sounding wry and exhausted, a half-smile on his face. "That got heavy quick, heh... But I was trying to explain about why I asked about the music." He tilted his head back with a faint smile still in place. "See, my best friend once told me that, for all the sadness and darkness and hopelessness in the world, everyone has something they can enjoy no matter how they're feeling. He loves cats, for example. Petting cats, watching cat videos, seeing pictures of cats. Point is, he told me that if I could find that little something, that distracting, _good_ thing, then no matter how heavy or sad I get, I can always find that little bit of _light_. You know?" I stared at the man, eyes wide, and he offered me a small grin, holding out his hand.

"My name's Yamada Hizashi, kiddo," he told me.

"Midoriya Hinako," I replied immediately, without thought, eyes still wide even as I carefully reached forward to shake his hand.

"Well, Hinako-Chan," he said quietly. "It was nice to meet you. I have to go now, but I just wanted to let you know: finding something to love, always chases away the cold." Smiling, he got to his feet and started to leave. "Remember!" He called over his shoulder. "Every Friday on Put Your Hands Up! See you around!" I watched him walk away, bewildered and relieved and still so _heavy_.

I didn't tell Kaachan or Izu about Yamada-san when we got home later that day. Izu had been distracted playing Heroes and Villains with some other kids and Kaachan hadn't seen the blond man during her frequent window-checks, and I didn't feel like he'd done anything shady to report. In fact, he'd been comforting, and, as guilty as it made me feel, I felt _relieved_ to have something that was a secret, just for me, if even only a little bit. I adore my family, I love Kaachan and Izu and Touchan, and I know that, no matter what, they'll always support me as best as they could...

That didn't mean I didn't get tired of being coddled or surrounded, though. And I wasn't even sure if it was the Depression talking or the Knowing part of me talking or if it was just me. Still, it was nice, having something none of them knew about.

Come Friday, I was still Cold. But, for the first time in two weeks, I forced myself into the kitchen to ask Kaachan to find the radio station.

"Someone at the park mentioned it," I told her as she immediately fiddled with the radio, so happy that I was making a request instead of just accepting what she handed me. "It's run by a new Pro Hero, and he plays nothing but music today." Kaachan beamed at me even as Izu perked up, and we quickly had the radio set up in the living room while Izu and I did our homework. He finished his in an hour. After three, I was barely halfway through mine, struggling to keep working on things that the Cold said were _pointless_ but were easy enough to still fill in.

In that time, I found out that Put Your Hands Up played _everything_. It stuck with mostly Japanese songs, but also threw in some English, a couple of French, a Spanish song, and even something that the computer said was Indonesian. It didn't seem to matter what year the song came out, either, even playing an old song from before Quirks came about. It was... Actually pretty fun, listening to all the strange and random songs, humming along with the ones I knew, pausing to focus on the ones I didn't, and it was _so relieving_, being able to actually _fully focus_ on something. I missed being able to focus...

For the first time in three hours, instead of a song coming on, the Hero actually spoke, breaking through my struggling homework and music-focus, and making me look up at the radio quietly.

"_HEY THERE, LITTLE LISTENERS!"_ Present Mic shouted out happily, the sudden loudness making Izu jump and Kaachan squeak, the two of them laughing sheepishly afterwards, making my mouth twitch up in a small smile. _"I'm your host, Present Mic! And are you ready to start throwing down some sick beats?! Gimme a YEAH!" _He bellowed; my small smile grew a little.

"Yeah," I said quietly, setting my pencil down.

"_Awesome, Little Listeners! Before we start answering your calls, I have a crazy special message for a special little listener in Musutafu!"_ Present Mic declared, his boundless-seeming happiness mellowing, warming into something affectionate. _"If you're listening, Midoriya Hinako, Hizashi wants you to remember what he said!"_ My breath caught, eyes going wide as I stared, hands still on the table.

"He said your name, Neechan!" Izu squeaked as Kaachan poked her head through the kitchen doorway, eyebrows raised.

"_Love will always beat the Cold!"_ Present Mic said clearly, earnestly, and I stared at the Radio, my hands slowly lifting to fold over my heart. _"And no matter how Heavy life gets, friends are always there to help carry the burden, even if it doesn't seem to help. So, remember, my new Little Listener! We're always there when you need us!"_ Everything was blurry, I realized after a moment, as Present Mic continued, taking a call and beginning to play some sort of techno-rap. After a second, I realized my vision was all wonky because I was _crying_.

Despite the Cold, I hadn't actually cried since the first night it set in, two weeks ago now.

It felt...

It felt like something had _let go_. Like, something that was stuck had finally managed to get free, and, before I knew it, I was bawling into my hands, Kaachan and Izu immediately there, wrapping me up in their arms and comforting me and, and!

I was _Warm again_.

I let out a choked laugh, so utterly _relieved_, and my glow roared to life, shining through my eyelids and making Kaachan and Izu both start crying and laughing too as I made this gross snorting sound. We must have looked so silly, sitting there and crying and laughing and me, glowing like a nightlight between them. It took almost ten minutes to stop, and, when we did, I asked Kaachan if I could call in a song.

I waited on hold while I searched for the perfect song on my Musicfly app, trying to find one that felt right, and grinned when I found it, my cheeks hurting from it after so long, just in time for my call to get picked up.

"_Hey there, Little Listener, you're on the air!"_ Present Mic greeted happily.

"Hi there, Present Mic," I greeted, blinking as I heard my voice come out of the radio, making Izu squeak and bounce excitedly as Kaachan grinned over at me happily. "This is Midoriya Hinako from Musutafu. And I'd like Hizashi-san to know that I heard him, loud and clear."

"_That's AWESOME, Little Listener!"_ Present Mic cheered. _"I'm stoked that you tuned in in time to hear it! He's gotta be OVER THE MOON!" _he laughed loudly; and I giggled quietly with him, feeling almost floaty now that the Heaviness was gone, my chest light and Warm again. _"Do you have a song request, little buddy?!"_

"I do!" I agreed happily. "Could you play _Thank You_ by Dido for him, from me? I'd appreciate it!"

"_No problem, Little Listener! Always happy to help out! Keep on being awesome, okay?" _

"You too!" I chirped and hung up the phone with a giggle.

"_Let's get going, Little Listeners! Can I get a YEAH!?"_

"YEAH!" Izu and I both shouted, laughing now as my requested song started. Kaachan had the computer on so she could read the lyrics, since her English wasn't as good as ours was getting, and she swayed with the music as Izu and I stumbled across the lyrics, trying to sing along.

I was _happy_.

And it felt _so very good_.

**~(LINE)~**

Hizashi hadn't stopped beaming since the call came in. Even hours later as he trudged through the apartment door and almost tripped over Shouta's brown tabby cat, Potato, who, like his namesake, had the habit of just lying around uselessly. He didn't even get upset, which wasn't unusual but, after a full Friday at the Radio Station, Hizashi knew he sometimes got grumpy, but he was too damn happy to be grumpy.

Hearing that little voice, so much livelier and brighter than it had been early that week, had boosted his spirits and warmed his heart right up. He had _helped her_, this tiny girl who didn't know he was a Hero, who was already struggling with something that Hizashi had been dealing with since he was fourteen. She didn't know him from Adam, but his words _reached her_, they _helped her_, and they made enough of an impact that she'd _reciprocated_. And that? That was one of the reasons he was a Hero, that knowledge that everything wasn't just for show, but actually, really _important_ to people out there.

It made every nasty media rumor worth it, made all the complaints about how 'annoying' he was worth it. These little things that _Hizashi _did that mattered to others. If Hizashi, a nobody, can be some little kid's Hero, for even a single day, then Present Mic had the chance to affect _thousands_.

And that? That was inspiring as hell for him.

"Quiet down," Shouta grouched from the kitchen, already buried in the depths of his purple sleeping bag, cradling a little carton of apple juice in his hand, the table top cluttered with a mix of empty boxes and full ones, as well as a half-empty bag of animal crackers.

"I didn't even say anything!" Hizashi squawked indignantly, grin widening as he pranced over to his best friend and roommate.

"You didn't have to," Shouta grumbled. "I could hear your awakeness from over here and it's disgusting. Stop it." Hizashi couldn't help but laugh at his friend, falling into the chair across from him gracelessly and snatching the closest carton of grape juice, affection warming his heart as he noted that it was one of three that were set farthest from his friend, pointedly. After all, Shouta hated grape juice.

"Shut up," his friend growled, scowling at him tiredly as Pudding the tuxedo clawed her way up his friends sleeping bag to sprawl across his shoulders with a yawn, curling there like a living scarf.

"Didn't say a word!" Hizashi sing-songed, cheerfully taking a slurp of his juice. Shouta just grunted at him, and the two sat in silence for a while, drinking juice and sharing animal crackers in the dark, because they were twenty-two and adults. Only the four cats were there to judge them, although Soba and Ramen the Siamese siblings were distracted wrestling on the living room sofa. And Potato was now sprawled in the middle of the bathroom doorway.

"...So," Shouta muttered, breaking the silence and casting a totally judgmental stare at Hizashi as the blond made a little lion cookie fight a giraffe for the right to be eaten first (sound effects included). "Met someone in Musutafu, huh?" Hizashi blinked, then grinned brightly at his friend, who's judgmental stare immediately turned into a disgruntled glower that he _totally_ learned from his pets.

"Yep!" Hizashi told him cheerfully. "Cute little kid, like, _really_ little, but going through some serious adult things," he quieted down subconsciously as he spoke, which was more of a tell than anything else he did, about how serious it was. Usually, when Hizashi got interested or focused on something, his volume control subconsciously went to LOUD, but sometimes, rarely, it went down, and that was usually when it concerned topics he wasn't usually comfortable discussing with anyone but Shouta. And, indeed, his friend straightened up, his bony shoulders poking through his sleeping bag and making Pudding meow in complaint before hopping down and sauntering away in annoyance.

"How serious?" Shouta asked warily; Hizashi sighed a little bit.

"Serious as in diagnosed with depression hard enough that I felt the need to warn her about long walks off short ledges," he told his friend tiredly, heart hurting at the reminder of that too small girl with her too dark emotions. "And, shit Shouta, she couldn't have been more than five, _maybe_ a small six?" Shouta frowned, arms crossing, fingers tapping against the muscle showing at the end of his shirtsleeves. (and Hizashi wasn't going to ever get over the fact that his friends favored style outside of his Hero costumes blacks and 'Mysterious' vide were shirts that said shit like 'Drama Queen' and pants with the bejeweled word 'Juicy' on the ass.)

"Trouble at home?" his friend asked, pointedly neutral, and Hizashi shook his head a bit.

"Not from what I could tell. Kid said that her Councilor thought it was connected to her Quirk, some kind of response to having too much energy stored or something. Said the sun helped her Quirk, so I assume its some sort of photosynthesis or heat-based Quirk, which makes sense, considering she said her depression left her Cold and Heavy... But, damn it, Shouta," he sighed, reaching up to tug his hair tie until his messy bun came tumbling down. "Seeing a little kid like that, looking like I did during those Bad Days as a teenager, and not even _ten_ yet..." Shouta grimaced, because he had _been there_, had _seen_ the kind of dark places Hizashi had been in, had talking him down from a ledge more than once before they'd graduated, and patched him up a time or two as well.

"Well," his friend grumbled, tugging his sleeping bag back up to his shoulders. "_Something_ you did got through, at least. She'll probably remember you for a long time, if you made enough of an impact to pull her out of her slump." Immediately, Hizashi felt his smile return, a warm, honest affection in his heart as he beamed at his best friend.

"Yeah," he breathed, beaming as Shouta scowled at him in affront, squinting at him like an angry, half-asleep cat. "I guess she will, huh?" Shouta huffed and threw a hippo-shaped cookie at him as Hizashi grinned, pin-point accuracy nailing the blond right between the eyes, making him sputter and flail as he reared back.

Immediately after, the two were engaged in a bizarre food fight involving empty juice boxes, animal crackers, and dodging cats as the four felines came to investigate. Hizashi, of course, lost, but he was still laughing in the end, and even Shouta was smiling from his sprawled place on the floor, his fur children climbing all over him.

_Yeah_, Hizashi thought as he giggled hysterically into the carpet. _Today was a good day._

_An awesome day._

**A/N:** Have a super long chapter to make up for the super long beginning A/N. Also, I read and studied about the signs of depression in young children and all of Hinako's reactions and feelings are based off those. Everyone feels depression and bipolar differently, they have different triggers and lengths of time they're affected. But it's important to remember that it IS an ILLNESS and CAN be TREATED. But all the advice Chichi-san gave Inko, and that Hizashi told Hinako? All that is valid, from my POV as someone whose mother is Bipolar and who suffers from panic attacks and occasional depression. Please keep it in mind.

Take care of yourselves!

R&R


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